Devotional (Page 6)
Devotionals written by the pastoral team.
DELAYS ARE NOT DENIALS
When [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. JOHN 11:6 In today’s fast paced world of drive through dining, same-day Amazon delivery and online grocery shopping, we’ve lost the art of waiting. If you ask any child, they rank the words not yet as nearly the most awful in the English language, second only to the word no. Children don’t like to hear the answer, “Not yet.” When our wise, loving heavenly Father deems it best to say,…
Our First Desire
25 “Therefore, I say to you, don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink, or about your body, what you’ll wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t sow seed or harvest grain or gather crops into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? 27 Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your…
Our Identity in Christ
Have you ever struggled with knowing who you are? We live in a world where people struggle with identity. Some of which is caused by broken families and troubled childhoods. Some of which is caused by careless friends and negative people in our lives. But I believe that who we are is determined by “whose” we are. Where did I come from and who do I belong to? The answers to these questions shape our identity. Psalm 139:13-14 says “For…
Embracing the Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to…
Being Part of a Community
It seemed inevitable that sports would be a big part of our family life! A husband that wasn’t content with his years of high school sports proceeded to play years of ice hockey and softball. And when it comes to being a fan, any professional sports team that makes its home in Seattle has a devoted following in the Roth household! Eventually those passions filtered down to our children, taking root at different levels, but becoming a part of the…
Psalm 5
Psalm 5:1,2 Give ear to my words, O Lord; Consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, My King and my God, For to you I pray. What should I do when I’m sad? Reading the Psalms is teaching me to pray differently. When I’m sad I should at least acknowledge to God that I am. So often I want to hide from myself the condition of my own heart. I’ve learned over time that I’m…
Overflow
It was a privilege to journey with our eighteen students from Spokane First Church to Florida and experience Nazarene Youth Conference (NYC) for a third time. Once again, thank you church for your support in getting our students there. The theme for this NYC was overflow. Building from Romans Chapter 15 verse 13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”…
Always Ready
I like to buy those “Jesus Calling” books when I am out junking. You know going to thrift stores. It’s one of my favorite things to do. If I can pick them up for one or two dollars, I am a happy camper. I love to have them on hand. If they are leather, I feel I hit the jackpot. I was going to give one to a person having surgery, but she already had one. I went home and…
The Lord’s Return
When will the Lord return? Will it be soon? Will I be ready? As a child, I remember watching the Christian movie, “Thief in the night,” where I saw dramatized the vanishing of Christians and the horrible predicament of those who were not ready, who missed the rapture and now would have to face the persecution of the tribulation. I understood that the Lord could come back at any moment, and I had better be ready… or else. At some…
A Changed Life
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father — to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. REVELATION 1:5 – 6 I’d like to share with you about a gentleman I’ve known for more than 20 years. I’ve seen him at his lowest. I’ve seen him when his life was falling apart, when he…
The Verse that Almost Was
At the start of the academic year at seminary where I taught, faculty gathered together, and the president would share our theme verse or passage for the year. In my last year there, the president said he considered sharing Ezek. 36:20-23 but decided on a passage in John. Being the curious type I had to check out the “almost” verses. This is what I found: Ezek. 36:20-23 – 20 ”And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy…
The Light
For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light. For the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Ephesians 5:8,9 Do you ever have a day, week, month where you feel like you are in the fog? Searching for the light, it is there but hard to see. There are so many reasons in life where we as Christians…